Alaska Advocates Nearing Signature Requirement to Place Cannabis Legalization to a Vote in 2014

Advocates in Alaska are hard at work on an initiative to legalize cannabis, with the goal of putting the proposal to a vote in November, 2014. The group is on track to meet this goal, and has collected nearly 30,000 signatures in less than 4 months, the initiative’s spokesman Timothy Hinterberger tells us. The group is required to submit 30,000 valid signatures by January to make the ballot.

Given that not all signatures will be valid (those not from registered Alaska voter), the group has set a goal of 45,000 signatures by December 1st (a self-imposed deadline, as they officially have until January), a goal they’re on track to make.

If the initiative is placed on the ballot and approved, the possession of up to an ounce of cannabis, and the private cultivation of up to 6 plants, will be explicitly legal for those 21 and older. State-licensed cannabis retail outlets will also be authorized.

“[We’re] a quirky, very libertarian state, and our polling indicates the initiative will pass”, Hinterberger (who is also a Professor of Developmental Biology at the University of Alaska) tells us.

“If the current trend of a rapid shift in public attitudes toward cannabis continues, I have every reason to believe we’ll succeed.”

Anthony Martinelli

Anthony is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheJointBlog. He has worked closely with numerous elected officials who support cannabis law reform, including as the former Campaign Manager for King County (WA) Councilmember Dave Upthegrove. He has been published by multiple media outlets, and is a former contributor for Village Voice Media.